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7 Innovation & Technology
Lloyd R. Smith Corporate Technology Center in Milwaukee, WI
07
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Robert O'Toole Global Engineering Center in Nanjing, China
We are a global water technology company working to bring new, sustainable solutions to market
The needs of our customers drive our innovation efforts . Changing environmental regulations, an increased focus on greenhouse gas reduction efforts and a heightened sense of urgency around climate change have accelerated our already robust efforts to integrate ESG-friendly solutions into our product offerings . We are constantly reinvesting capital to further enhance our innovation efforts at our Global Engineering Centers to bring new, sustainable options to market . A . O . Smith, along with its wholly owned subsidiary, Lochinvar LLC, is the largest manufacturer and seller of gas and electric residential and commercial water heating equipment, high efficiency residential and commercial boilers and pool heaters . A . O . Smith’s commitment to innovative, customer-centric and efficient products throughout history has enabled it to become a global leader in delivering water heating and hydronic heating technologies . As a leader in such technologies, the efficiency innovations of our products have a substantial positive impact on our planet . “Innovation Has a Name” is the A . O . Smith motto, and our commitment to innovation results in products that are highly efficient and meet the needs of our customers .
We’re Innovating Today for Tomorrow’s Technology
Research & Development
As an industry leader, we refuse to sit quietly . Each and every day at A . O . Smith, we are working on developing state-of-the-art solutions that are pushing new boundaries and paving the way in our industry . Our responsibility is to meet existing customer needs and to anticipate future needs .
Global Engineering Centers
At our global engineering centers we support new product development teams for all our related businesses .
We are engaged in efforts to:
• Improve efficiency and water conservation of our own products • Use less water and energy in our manufacturing processes
In 2018 we opened the Lloyd R . Smith Corporate Technology Center (CTC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin . This facility is dedicated to the development of new energy efficient and water conserving products and processes . The 42,700-square-foot research and development lab employs a team focused solely on technology development, and serves as the company’s global innovation hub, where teams of engineers concept, test and finalize core technologies to be used in A . O . Smith products around the globe .
We strive to identify technologies that can help us grow our business.”
– Robert Heideman, PhD SVP & Chief Technology Officer
To achieve true innovation you need diversity of thought and background; it‘s where you begin to identify unique opportunities for the future.” – Gus Justin, Sensor Engineer
Spotlight on...
Gusphyl (Gus) Justin, PhD, Sensor Engineer “My passion for innovation initially brought me to a serendipitous landing at A . O . Smith . I found a kinship working alongside a diverse group of individuals, both with national origin and educational backgrounds . ” As an R&D engineer at the CTC, Gus works to identify and develop sensor technologies to detect environmental contaminants and to provide feedback on the performance of the A. O. Smith products. An important part of his role is to foster the necessary internal collaborations and external partnerships that progress innovation in sensors and their applications to the business and industry.
18 We Shine a Light on Emerging Innovations
Spotlight on...
Becky Tallon, PhD, Director, Water Treatment Technologies
Q: What about A . O . Smith's commitment to ESG is particularly interesting or inspiring to you?
A: What excites me is our longstanding investment to driving innovation in a way that supports our research and development teams to achieve success . Specifically, my CTC teams identify, develop and implement technologies and then they are passed on to our product and development manufacturing teams which in turn improves our sustainability .
Becky is a Water Treatment Technology Engineering Director. She successfully managed the launch of our water treatment products in North America and continues to assist in shepherding newly acquired water treatment companies into the A. O. Smith family. Aside from her achievements within the A. O. Smith business operations, she also is among the first women to sit on the Water Quality Associations (WQA) Women in Industry Advisory Council.
In 2021, Becky won the Manufacturing Institute's Step Ahead Award, which recognizes women in science, technology, engineering and production careers who exemplify leadership within their companies.
Tech Challenge
The Tech Challenge is put on by The Water Council and co-sponsored by A . O . Smith . Its purpose is to “accelerate innovation for all .” Every spring and fall, targeted topics are chosen by sponsoring companies . Innovators from all over the world, including university students, researchers, water professionals, private sector and government labs, are invited to submit their innovative ideas for new water technology . This semi-annual competition taps into a global network of water innovators allowing for the discovery of new ideas, talent and investment opportunities . Each innovator competes for prize money, access to corporate R&D resources and the opportunity to partner on the development, marketing, licensing and/or sale of their proposed new water technology .
SPRING 2022 WINNER
TOPIC: Reducing operating expenses in waste management
Biovert Protein: Bangkok, Thailand
This team of food manufacturing industry experts pivoted their focus to address the increasing impact of the worlds current waste management practices on climate change . They established a Waste to Resource (WTR) business model to recover more from organic waste to help offset the food supply chain issues . In turn creating an “optimized life-cycle for waste reduction and biomass production . ”
SPRING 2022 WINNER
TOPIC: Non-turbine energy harvesting
MIS7: Westerbork, the Netherlands
CONCRETE2ENERGY
This winning team is made up of engineers from The Netherlands who works to store electric energy in concrete . In their next phase of research, they aspire to generate electric energy in the same concrete with paint to not only create energy but store it as well . The future hope is to create a new energy grid with a network of bike roads and buildings, which are able to generate, store and manage electric energy 24/7 .
